By CHERIE DONNELLAN
Melbourne hip-hop artist Seth Sentry confesses to still viewing music as a “hobby” despite earning notoriety as Channel V’s 2012 Oz Artist of the Year and playing to millions watching US hit talk show, Jimmy Kimmel Live.
“[Music] is something I’ve never tried to work towards a certain level of fame or notoriety – it’s still a hobby to me.
“I just don’t have to work as a waiter anymore,” Sentry joked.
Ahead of his 7 September performance at Geelong’s The Wool Exchange, Sentry reminisced playing to “about 50 kids” in Geelong when he was “just starting out” as a touring musician.
Modestly, he offrered: “If we get 50 kids [watching the 7 September gig], it’ll be a rockin’ night.”
Sentry found regional audiences to be “more excitable” than those from capital cities, which made for a “great gig”.
Audiences will hear hit songs Dear Science and Room For Rent among others from his debut album, This Was Tomorrow as part of his Vacation tour.
Sentry asserted he was “proud of the album as a whole” but it was a four-year project that “took way too long”.
“It’s one of those things that I kept putting off – I’m notoriously lazy – and then it took longer and longer.
“Then I just suddenly went into overdrive and smashed it out.”
But the album wasn’t written in haste: “The album was there in my head. It just needed the finishing touches.”
Sentry sought meaningful lyrics when writing songs – something he did even as a music listener.
“When I listen to rap, I hone in one the lyrics.”
Listening to other artists was how Sentry learned not to overcomplicate lyrical messages.
“Some of my favourite rappers [write] in a way that’s kind of exhausting – it’s like information overload.
“So I like to try and talk about something in my lyrics but I still make it easy to [follow].”
Seth Sentry plays The Wool Exchange 7 September. Tickets available from sethsentry.com.
